On Friday I met with Alliance Wine UK Chief Executive Fergal Tynan MW and Operations Director Linda Cowan in Beith to discuss their concerns at the shortcomings of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) as currently proposed.
Alliance Wine was founded in 1984. From its Beith headquarters it has grown to become one of the leading importers to the UK wine trade. Highly innovative from marketing to reducing its carbon footprint, Alliance Wine is independently owned and run, employing 80 people, 60 of them in Scotland.
The company imports from over 20 countries and represents over 200 producers, as well as making wine in Australia, Spain, France and Chile.
However, whilst supporting the broad aims and objectives of the DRS, its many flaws in relation to glass collection and the costly bureaucratic hoops smaller and medium size businesses such as Alliance Wine would have to jump though if the current proposal is implemented make it unworkable.
It is important that Scottish Ministers look again at this legislation and reconsider if glass should be included along with aluminium and plastic.
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